I Found An Unusual Walden Worcester 1/4” drive set. Feel free to post your Walden tools here.

[d42jeep]

I found some early Walden Worcester universal T handles plus a stamped DOE wrench. Patent date on the T wrenches is Oct 22, 1918. The sizes are 9/16”, 5/8” and 3/4”.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

The stamped DOE wrench looks better now. l imagine that it’s a pretty early example.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I made a best offer on this breaker but it was still a bit expensive. I hadn’t seen others of this style for sale and I wanted it to complete my blue box set.
-Don

 

[JohnDeere]

Thanks ton Don my 1/4 inch master set is getting closer.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice progress!

 

[d42jeep]

I found a few nutdrivers today at an odd huge yard. One was a Stevens Walden Spintite and I think that the other is an early Stevens although the markings are obliterated.
-Don

 

[shanny19]

Not much Walden in my neck of the woods, but here are a couple of oddities I’ve run across:

This is an 18” 3/8 extension that is double-stamped for both WW and SW.

 

[shanny19]

And this is part of my herd of 1460’s. Others are in boxes and yet others have been sold on ebay.
I started a thread years ago to ask why every yard sale ever has one of these, and why I never see any other full-polish Walden DBEs……and got crickets. I’m convinced they came with a Ford vehicle of some kind, but if you know why they are so bountiful please tell me…….

 

[bmwrd0]

I also live in the PNW, and I have never seen one of those.

 

[shanny19]

I also live in the PNW, and I have never seen one of those.

I first encountered them while picking “the usual sources” in the Puyallup/Sumner/Bonney Lk area in the early 90s. Then acquired many many more in blue collar spots in N ID and E WA over the years.
I’d really like to know what they are. 19/32 and 22/32 aren’t exactly wrenchmates, and I have never seen a different sized Walden full polish DBE. Ever. Shrug…….

 

[930dreamer]

If someone has a use for this lot, I'll send it your way.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

I got this from a roadside yard sale driving through Georgia yesterday. Appears to be a Steven's Walden Worcester #447 3/4" socket driver. Anybody have a Steven's Walden Worcester catalog that might further identify the tool? Best $1 I spent all day.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

If someone has a use for this lot, I'll send it your way.

Absolutely, what's your asking price?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Appears to be a Steven's Walden Worcester #447 3/4" socket driver. Anybody have a Steven's Walden Worcester catalog that might further identify the tool?

Yes. I have a different one in the same series, for Buicks. Stand by...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picture from Handbook of Automotive Tools, 1928, downloaded from eBay auction ad, credit: the ingenious, tireless, and irrepressible @four.cycle!

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Picture from Handbook of Automotive Tools, 1928, downloaded from eBay auction ad, credit: the ingenious, tireless, and irrepressible @four.cycle!

Hey, you may be a Private but this old retired CSM just field promoted you to SGT!

Thanks so much!

 

[930dreamer]

Absolutely, what's your asking price?

Pm sent.

 

[d42jeep]

One of the empty boxes in my Christmas gift from four.cycle was this nice 5 hinge element Walden 1/4” drive box with its original unpainted finish. I elected to fill it with cad plated tools that likely would have come in the box. It’s just missing the drive plug.

Thanks, BK!
-Don

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

One of the empty boxes in my Christmas gift from four.cycle was this nice 5 hinge element Walden 1/4” drive box with its original unpainted finish. I elected to fill it with cad plated tools that likely would have come in the box. It’s just missing the drive plug.

Thanks, BK!
-Don

I was searching through Ebay for drive plugs and just saw this one. A little too pricey for me but interesting to see they marked it.

 

[d42jeep]

That kind of pricing is why I pick them up whenever I see them at the flea or at estate/garage sales. It would be less expensive to buy a ratchet that included the plug. Replacement new plugs are available as well.
-Don
Here are some that BK scored earlier this year. He generously sent me a bag.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

That kind of pricing is why I pick them up whenever I see them at the flea or at estate/garage sales. It would be less expensive to buy a ratchet that included the plug. Replacement new plugs are available as well.
-Don
Here are some that BK scored earlier this year. He generously sent me a bag.

Seeing those bags, I'm drooling. Here in NC I can find older hand tools in auction lots and at thrift stores occasionally but it's few and far between and usually just wrenches and sockets. Here in the mountains they just don't do flea markets at all and yard sales are seasonal. I traveled to Chicago back in early November and was so amazed at the bounty of tools and such posted on marketplace and in the thrift stores. Traveled through Pennsylvania in October and they have muck meets and swap meets for tools. I'm so addicted to collecting...

 

[SquirrelsTools]

Not to be a bother, and maybe I'm missing it, but I just got this guy (pretty much on accident) and I'm not seeing it here. This thread is pretty much the best resource on Walden I've ever found so I figured I'd ask. Any info on an oxide set like this?

It looked nearly new when I opened it. Left the extra (I'm guessing?) stuff in it for the photos too. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[d42jeep]

It seems like I've posted several similar sets to that in this thread. The Allen wrenches don’t belong. I would need to see a side view of the sockets and an external picture of the lid of the box to assess desirability. There are similar sets listed almost daily on eBay. They aren’t a big money maker.
-Don

 

[SquirrelsTools]

It seems like I've posted several similar sets to that in this thread. The Allen wrenches don’t belong. I would need to see a side view of the sockets and an external picture of the lid of the box to assess desirability. There are similar sets listed almost daily on eBay. They aren’t a big money maker.
-Don

Oh, I wasn't looking for cash on it, more of the fact that I hadn't come across anything like it before. Thought it was kinda cool and was unsure what did and didn't go with it and whether it was supposed to have anything else in it. I see you posted a turner with it. I have a ton of them and was looking for you or anyone else's expertise on time period v. Color of handle. I was away from home, having trouble getting pictures to load. I've tried to gently clean the outside of the box since and I'll throw a picture on this comment. It's just kind of cool and I wanted to complete it

 

[d42jeep]

Your knurled sockets are a nice black oxide finish as are your flex handle and what’s left of your spinner with the missing handle. Since there are no 1945 Walden catalogs that have been found my guesses are based on my experience with the brand. I think that your set would date from late 1944 to early 1945. It could have come with just the pieces you have or it may have added a black oxide ratchet, a sliding tee plus a matching extension. Here are some pictures of my similar sets. By far the most common spinners have an amber handle although I prefer the more rare yellow and black handle. Either are perfectly correct.
-Don

 

[SquirrelsTools]

Your knurled sockets are a nice black oxide finish as are your flex handle and what’s left of your spinner with the missing handle. Since there are no 1945 Walden catalogs that have been found my guesses are based on my experience with the brand. I think that your set would date from late 1944 to early 1945. It could have come with just the pieces you have or it may have added a black oxide ratchet plus a matching extension. Here are some pictures of my similar sets. By far the most common spinners have an amber handle although I prefer the more rare yellow and black handle. Either are perfectly correct.
-Don

Oh so that IS the spinner! I thought it was a weird style, or maybe from a different time period somehow. Just missing a handle, gotcha. That's a lot of what the head scratching was. It's knurled so nicely I guess I'm just not use to seeing busted ones.

Thanks a lot. It was kicking around in the bottom of a box I got at a farm auction. I was buying some old blacksmithing tongs, and a military issue Onan mobile electric plant. Asked the lady if she wanted it back and she said no. Cool little set to add to one of my machinist boxes. Sorry to bother you over it and all, was just killing me haha.

If you need anything for your tool sets for the info let me know. I don't expect effort for nothing. I have a lot of peripheral stuff from the period of govt issue. Happy to add to another's collection.

 

[d42jeep]

I’m happy to have helped to possibly answer some questions about your set. I’m a big fan of Walden tools.

Here is another Christmas gift from the tireless four.cycle. I glued and clamped the cracked handle and did some restoration work. I think that it’s a pretty unusual screwdriver. I’m a little confused about the Chicago marking.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I think that it’s a pretty unusual screwdriver. I’m a little confused about the Chicago marking.

Made by Reed & Prince, Don. I think the "Worcester-Chicago" marking, the use of a generic "Crosspoint" (rather than Phillips) terminology in the 1947 catalog excerpt you posted, the shape of the tip (Frearson rather than Phillips), and the overall shape of the fluted handle all would have pointed to them, but I'm not sure why they bothered taking their name off the ferrule (their in-house production screwdrivers have a three line marking there: "R. & P. MFG. CO." / "WORCESTER-CHICAGO" / "U.S.A.") when they left their monograph on the shank!

I guess the other way to look at it is that they had half the location right for Walden without even trying!

EDIT: Adding a few pics of my R&P's for your convenience, Don. Additional photos and discussion can be found on the 'Show us your wood' thread.

 

[d42jeep]

Now that you mention it, the tip doesn’t look like a Phillips driver. I’ll do a side by side comparison with my Plastic handle R&P driver. I need to check the markings on the ferrule a little more closely.
The yellow handled R&P is marked Amalite as well.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I don't know anything about their later plastic-handled era screwdriver production and even less than nothing about 'Amalite', Don, but the screwdriver that 4.c sent you is, without any shred of doubt, made by Reed & Prince. The only question I have is whether 4.c realized it, or was he, like you, seeing 'Worcester' and thinking Stevens-Walden. If one didn't notice the R&P monogram on the shank, I can easily see how that's possible, especially with that 1947 catalog excerpt leading one even farther down that garden path. It's kind of neat that a 'Walden' oriented gift revealed a third party production I'm not sure anyone had noticed or discussed before.

 

[d42jeep]

Sure enough. After close examination with my magnifiers the original Reed & Prince logo can barely be seen.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

So, it's a R&P and the 1947 catalog is really just a coincidental red herring. But now I am wondering what was shipped to customers ordering a "Crosspoint" screwdriver from Walden in 1947? Because those are clearly R&P screwdrivers.

 

[d42jeep]

Hard to say since I’ve never seen one. I’ll keep looking though.
-Don

 

[Gebirgekind]

I recently found this 1/2" sliding t-handle in the field box of my Great Uncle Ade. He was a sheep farmer in Southern Utah in the early 1900's and allegedly had interactions with remnants of the Hole in the Wall Gang; lots of fun stories there!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hard to say since I’ve never seen one.

Nor I. I'm guessing it's because they weren't marked for Walden. Like ordering an adjustable from a Snap-on catalog early on, you got a Diamond, for example.

He was a sheep farmer in Southern Utah in the early 1900's and allegedly had interactions with remnants of the Hole in the Wall Gang;

Cool family story, but his interactions at the time that sliding tee was in his field box would've been with "public enemy" type gangsters of the late 30's and 40's.

 

[d42jeep]

A couple of Walden pickups at an estate sale yesterday. They will be appropriate for a red box set with Chrome plated tools.
—Don

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

A couple of Walden pickups at an estate sale yesterday. They will be appropriate for a red box set with Chrome plated tools.
—Don

Nice!

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

I didn't score in the Walden arena as good as d42jeep did yesterday but I did find this speed brace #4025 1/2 drive for $2.50!

I also picked up this metal socket box (appears similar to a Thorsen) with 1/4" drive Thorsen, S-K, J.H. Williams, Action and two Walden-Worcester sockets!

 

[d42jeep]

The design on the upper box indicates that it was manufactured by Huot. They supplied boxes to many manufacturers. I have Thorsen and Powr-Kraft marked boxes that they made. I don’t know who made the little box. Nice find on the speeder.
-Don

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

The design on the box indicates that it was manufactured by Huot. They supplied boxes to many manufacturers. I have Thorsen and Powr-Kraft marked boxes that they made. I don’t know who made the little box.
-Don

Jeep, are you speaking about the small metal box or the larger toolbox in the background?